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fade out

B1 neutral separable both
In simple words

To slowly disappear or get quieter until it's gone.

Literal meaning: To move outward while becoming less distinct.

Meanings

1 B1 neutral

(Film/audio) To gradually reduce the brightness of an image or the volume of a sound until it disappears completely.

"The engineer faded out the guitar track slowly at the end of the song."

Grammar: separable
2 B2 idiomatic neutral

For something such as a career, trend, or relationship to gradually come to an end.

"His acting career faded out in the late 1990s after a string of box-office failures."

Grammar: inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic informal

For a person to gradually stop being involved in a group or activity.

"After the argument, she started to fade out of our social circle."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

Very common in film and music production as a technical term. The noun 'fade-out' is also frequently used. In general usage, can describe careers, trends, or relationships that end gradually rather than abruptly.

Commonly used with

music scene career image trend relationship

Forms

Base
fade out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
fades out
he/she/it
Past simple
faded out
yesterday
Past participle
faded out
have + pp
-ing form
fading out
continuous

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